Ore concentration



D. D. MOFFAT.

6R5 couceumnou. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1918- Patented May 9, 1922.

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1,4jfi lfif Specification of Letters Patent. ffate n ggd 1215a? 9 Egg 2% Application filed February 2, 1918. Serial No. 23.52am.

openings being re i a I v bybaiile plates 1.3 ad usted by suitable cltlzen f th t d States,.res1d1ng at Haymeans l-l. Any desired number of cells may den, the county fGfl State of AIlZQl'lil, be arranged in series and as shown in Fig.

To all whom it may concern: titions 3, the size of said h invented a new'and useful Improve 1. the arrangement may be such as to promeut in Ore Concentration, of which the vide a series otrougher cells indicated at a. f ll i i a ific ti followed by a series of cleaner cells indi- This invention relates to the concentracated at taking the concentrates from launtion of ore by the flotation process, and parder 4-, and a third series of cells indicated ticularly in connection with that type of apat c, for treating tailings. from the Cleaner paratus wherein a free flowing body of ore cells; or. if desired, any other arrangement pulp is subjected to aerating action in pres- 015? the Cells may k i once of a flotation agent, and the main object requlrements of the ore. The tailings from of the present invention is to provide for the rougher cells may flow to launder 28, producing more uniform and efiective aeratand the ta-ilings from cell 0 may flow to mgaction throughout the body of ore pulp launder 29. The concentrates from cells 6 than is the case with apparatus heretofore and 0 HOW by'launders 31 and 32 to a launin use. der 33.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an Tn the bottoin of each flotation cell is proembodiment of my invention and referring vi d m ans for supplying an aerating agent. For this purpose, chambers or pas- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the concentratsages 16 and 17 floorl and porous mats 18 and 19 may be Fig. 1" is a partial longitudinal section of P 'Q Ided over the respective chambers 16 a modified form of my'invention. and 17. said nats forming part. of the floor .Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a pm of the flotation cells. An aerating agent, tion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. such as compressed air, is supplied to the Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. respective chambers 17 for example, from The embodiment of my invention shown in a compressed air main 20, from which Fi 1, 2 d 3 f th d i ise valved pipes 21 lead to the respectivechama trough provided With a floor 1, side Walls ba s 17. 2, and transverse partitions 3, said partihers and boats may be provided in each tions dividing Said trough into a series of flotation cell, or in any desired number of flotation 33113 or ections, one or both such cells, and I prefer t0 utilize one 01 sid s f the t ugh a conce trates launder 4 more of such mats in one or more of the is provided into Which the concentrates overside Wall 2. The upper surface of floor 1 01' aerating agent to the pulp. For this puropenings llat the lower ortion of tbeparher 17.

at 7, between the successive cells. Theoversupplied in any suitable lanner.

is formed in a series of steps or horizontal pose, a supplypipe 22 may lead to each of floor sections 6, in such manner that the the chambers 16, w-hlch may,.for example,

be used according tothe' may be provided in the first cells of the series for supplying a suitv'flovv from a horizontal lip 5 at the top of ablefiotatlon agent, together with the air A pluralitycf air supply chamfloor'section at the bottom of each flotation be the initial chambers in several of the, v

cell is at unifornr'i level throughout and is first flotatioircells' of a series of rougher raised above the level of the floorsection of cells a, said pipes 22 communicating with a the next succeeding cell by reason of a drop receiver to which a mixture of com or shoulder formed in the floor as indicated pressed air and vapor 'of' fiotation agent is The flow lip at either or both sides of th'e'cell is method of sup 'ilying the mixture of comhorizontal, and the floor being also horizonpressed air and vapor of a flotation agent a1 a uniform hydrostatic head is presented 18 not a part of the 'inventioon herein claimed throughout each cell. Suitable means, indibut is described and claimed in my copendcated at 9, in Fig. 1, are provided for sup-. ing application, No. 201,0i3, filed ,Nov.

plying ore pulp to the series of cells, said 1917, and granted December 13, 1921, as ore pulp passing through an opening 10 at Patent No. 1,400,368. Drain pipes may be the upper end ofv the trough into the first provided for any or all of the chambers, cell and passingirom cell to ,cell through such as indicated at 2G in F 1g. 3 for themi desired. some of the flotation cells may the compressed air lerst'ood however that be provided with means for supplying aeratingair alone thereto; for example as shown in Fig. 1, all of the cells of the rougher series (,L after the. first few cells and all of the cells of the series I and are shown as provided with means for supplying aerating air alone, said means comprising a por'ous mat 24 in the bottom ofleach cell. and a chamber or passage 25 below said mat endcommunicating by valved pipe 21 with main 20. It will be unin case of these cells wherein air or gas alone is supplied without flotation agent, the aerating mat may be made in any desired number of sections in each cell, said sections being supplied by a common chamber,

by intercommunicating chambers, or 'bychambers supplied with air separately, so asito provide for independent pressure regulation. In this connection, it may be stated that the provision of the flat, level bottom in each cell giving a uniform hydrostatic head throughout the cell, reduces to a minimum the necessity of indendent regulation at different parts of the cell, but it may in. some cases be desirable tdjprovide for-independent regulation, on

. and flows' successively 85 account, for example, of slight in the texture of the mats.

In the operation of my invention the free flowing'lpulp of. comminuted ore and water is supplied to the upper end of the trough through all of the flotation cells of each series and is subjected d i fi'erences to aeration in the'several cells by air or other gasforced through of the trough and running the, mats in the bottom-0f the cells. A suitable flotation agent, such as oil such flotation agent being preferin connection with a portion of example, through pipes 22 toinitial 1 chamber 16 in the first few cells In some cases however, the flotation agent may and mixed therewith in anywell known manner before it enters-theaerating flotation cells. In any case the effect of the aeration as above described is to produce a column of bubbles, the latter overflmving over the horizontal lips 5 at one or both sides off lnthe concentrates -la1'1n ders. The substantially horizontal arrangement of the floor surface of each cell provides substantially uniform hydrostatie' head throughout the entire body of pulp within each'cellfithereby providing for umformflotativ' action as far as possible throughout each cell and the stepped relation of the cells or the drop between sive cells provides for the flow from each cell to' the next,'required for continuous operation, this drop being sufficient to produce such velocity of {51W at the bottom of the cells as will ca or tar, etc., is supplied to I be applied'to the ore pulp the coarser material or .partsiof the cells is substantially quiescent as regards stream flow and is therefore in most favorable condition for building up of the bubble columns. As shown in Fig. 1; there may be several flotation cells, separated by partitions 2-5, for each step 6 of the floor 1 of the apparatus, the depth of the ore pulp between each floor section and the overflow lips 5 being uniform throughout cachstep. in other respects the construction and operation may be as abovedescribed. In this case, each of the cell sections between successive partitions may be provided with a single aeration means, comprising chamber 16, 17 or 25,'and mat 18, 19 or 24, said chambers 25 and 17 being supplied with air alone, from pipe 20. and chambers 16 being supplied with air mixed with vapor of flotation agent, through pipes 22. lri either of the embodiments of my invention above described, the pressure of the aerating medium supplied from the pipe 20 may be made uniform throughout each cell and throughout the entire series of cells or any part thereof, this being generally desir variant in such cells, in accordance with the difference in'hydrostatic head which is to aerating devices which supply alongwith the-air, than in which supply air alone.

VVh-at I claim is:" U l. A flotation al'n'iaratus comprising ayessel adapted to contain ore pulp, means for flotation agent those devices introducing ore pulp at one endof said vesseland for discharging the same from the other'end thereof, a seriesof partitions exbe-overcome. In general also, it isv desirable to provide for greater air pressurein the tending transversely of said vessel and di- -viding the same into a series of cells, the

floor of said vessel being formed in a series of steps each forming'the floor ofone of said cells, said partitions terminz'lting upwardlyfrom the edges of said. steps toiprovide openings extending transverselyof'said' vessel to permit said pulp to fiowoverthe edge of one step and downwardlyt herefrom on 'to the upper surface of the ,next step,

said steps being provided with porous media j through-which agas may be introduced into other end thereof, a series of partitions extending transversely of said vessel and di- 4 viding the same into a series of cells, the 'fioor of said vessel being formed in a series of steps each forming the floor of one of said cells, seid dpartitions terminating upwardly from the e ges of said steps to provide openings extending transversely of said vessel to permit said pulp to flow over the edge of one'step and downwardly therefrom onto the upper surface of the next step, said steps, eing provided with porous media through which a gas may be introduced into theipulp in sai'dcells, overflow 1i 5 alon the lateral edges of said cells an space at uniform heights above said steps, and

adjustable means at the bottoms'of said pan.

titions folregulating thesizes of the dis charge openings above the edges of said steps,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subsciiibed' my name this 19 day of January, 19 8. p 7

DAVID e. MOFFAT'. f 

